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New York @ New Jersey Friday April 2nd

35-40 - 43-31

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The New Jersey Nets can possibly clinch the Atlantic Division title on Friday when they host the New York Knicks at Continental Airlines Arena.

The Nets (43-31) have a 6 1/2-game lead over Miami (37-38 ) and can secure the division title and the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a victory and a Heat loss at Detroit on Friday.

New Jersey edged Washington on the road on Wednesday, 103-99 in overtime, for just its second victory in eight games.

Richard Jefferson collected 28 points and a season-high 14 rebounds for the Nets, who rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. All-Star forward Kenyon Martin, who had missed six games with right knee tendinitis, played 12 minutes but sat out the second half with soreness in the knee.

The Knicks (35-40) are in seventh place, one game ahead of eighth-place Boston (34-41).

New York, which is opening a three-game road trip and plays five of its final seven games on the road, has alternated losses and wins over its last six games.

On Monday, the Knicks edged Portland, 92-91, as Tim Thomas scored 26 points and Stephon Marbury added 23, eight assists and seven rebounds and forced Damon Stoudamire into an airball on the final play of the game.

The Nets had won 11 of 12 in the series, including the first two encounters this season, before the Knicks posted a 79-65 home triumph on March 19. The Nets were without Kidd and Martin in that contest.